Extensible clothing-support.



C. D. WILT. BXTENSIBLE CLOTHINGvSUPPORT. APPLIGATION FILED A`UG.14, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

1HE MORRIS PETERS CO PHOTO-LITHD., WASHING TON. D. C.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. D. WILT. BXTENSIBLE CLOTHING SUPPORT.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG.14, 1912. 1,131,755, Patented Ma1.16,1915.

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C. D. WILT.

BXTENSIBLE CLOTHING SUPPORT.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1912. 1, 1 31 ,765.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. FHOTDLITHO.. WASHINGTON, DV C COLIN D. WILT, OF CHICAGU, ILLINOIS.

IEXTENSIBLE CLOTHING-SUPPORT.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. t6, 1915.

'Application filed. August 14, 1912. Serial No. 714,947.

To ad 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, COLIN I). IVILT, a citi- Zen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extensible Clothing- Supports; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in extensible clothing supports for wardrobes, wardrobe trunks, clothes cabinets and other compartments. The supports, when not extended, are contained within the compartment but may be extended longitudinally outward to bring the clothing or other articles supported entirely outside of the compartment for the purpose of display or to afford convenient access thereto.

@ne ot the primary objects of the invention is to provide a support of the kind described of such construction that it may be located very close to the top wall of the wardrobe or other compartment, thereby economizing vertical space and making it possible to diminish the height of the wardrobe or compartment without contracting` the vertical dimensions of the space available for the clothing or other articles to be contained in the compartment. AThis fea-- ture of the construction is of particular advantage in connection with wardrobe trunks, since the tendency of the railroads is to curtail the height or maximumlength of the trunks that may be carried as baggage by the traveling public.

These and the other advantages of my improved construction will appear more clearly as I proceed with my description.

T he invention consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings -Figure 1 is a view representing a cabinet in vertical central section provided with an extensible support made in accordance with my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of parts of the support to be more particularly described later. Fig. Ll is a view representing a vertical section through the longitudinal central axis of the support when in position in the cabinet. Fig. 5 is a like view showing the parts of the support as they appear when partially extended. Fig. 6 is still another similar view showing the parts when more fully extended. Fig. 7 is a view representing a transverse section through the support with a clothes-hanger carried thereon. Fig. 8 is a view representing a partial section similar to Fig. 4, showing a slightly modified form of the construction. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. l showing a modiication of the construction with respect to another feature which will be referred to later. Figs. l0, l1 and l2 are detail sectional views of different parts of the upright standard included in the modification shown in Fig. 9, Fig. 1l being a section `of Fig. l0 in a plane indicated by the line l111 thereof.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invention shown 'in the drawings, and particularly to Figs. l to 7, inclusive, 15 indicates a cabinet, wardrobe or wardrobe trunk or any other device providing a compartment for containing clothes or the like suspended from its top wall. Said cabinet has side walls 16, 16, a rear wall 17. and bottom and top walls 18 and 19, respectively, and is open in front.

20 indicates as a whole my improved extensible support, the same being suspended within the cabinet in close proximity to the top wall 19 of the cabinet and extending longitudinally from the rear wall to the open front of the cabinet. The same comprises a plurality of telescoping members sliding one within the other. As shown herein, I provide three of such members, an outer member 23, an inner member 24- and an intermediate member 25.

The inner member 24, which. as shown in Figs. l to 7, inclusive, is a solid rod. is suspended from the top wall of the cabinet andprovides means by which the other parts of the extensible support are carried and maintained in suspended relation within the cabinet. Said rod 24 is supported by hanger bars 26. which are in the form of hooks each having an upright end part 27 spaced laterallv from the depending bodv of the hanger. Said end parts 27 are rigidly fixed, as shown, in apertures or openings formed in the rod 24. As illustrated, two such hanger bars 9.6 are used, one near the outer end of the rod 24 and one near its middle. Fach ofv said hanger bars has a flange 26a formed at its upper end for attaching it to the top wall of the cabinet.

The rear end of the rod 24 is supported by a plate 28 which is preferably an `angleplate secured both to the top wall 19 of the cabinet and also to the rear wall 17. The face of the part of said plate attached to the rear wall has an annular rib 29 which forms a socket to receive and support the rear end of the rod 24.

The outer member 23 of the extensible support and the intermediate member 25 are tubular and as shown are in the torni of cylindric sleeves. Said tubular members are provided on their bottom sides with longitudinally extending slots to receive the upright end parts 27 ot the hanger bars 26. The intermediate member 25 has direct bearing engagement upon the rod 24 and has on its lower side slots 30, 30, which are spaced longitudinally at their inner ends but are open at their outer ends. The inner ends are separated by an integral part of the sleeve which forms longitudinally spaced shoulders 31 that dene the inner ends of said slots 30. These shoulders are located so that one of them strikes the intermediate hanger bar when the sleeve 25 is pushed home to its innermost position within the cabinet, while the other one is adapted to strike the outer hanger and limit the out- Ward movement of said sleeve 25.

The outer sleeve 23 of the support has a longitudinal slot 32 in its lower side eX- tending the full length of the sleeve. lSaid outer sleeve does not have direct bearing en gagement on the intermediate sleeve 25 but has secured to its inner end a band or ring 33 provided with an annular, inwardly eX- tending, radial flange 34, which has bearing engagement against the intermediate sleeve. Aft the outer end of the intermediate sleeve there is secured a sho-rt slotted tube 35 with which the outer sleeve 23 has bearing engagement. The inner end of said tube 35 provides a shoulder 36 adapted to be engaged by the flange 34 on the band 33 when the sleeve 23 is withdrawn on the intermediate sleeve 25, thus forming a stop to limit the outward movement ot the 4outer member 23 upon the intermediate mem- 4ber 25.

A handle 37 is attached to the outer end ot the sleeve 23 tor operating the extensible support. Said handle is shown as made integral with a band or ring 38 which surrounds the end of the sleeve 23 and is attached thereto in any convenient manner.

The operation of the extensible support is apparent from the description. When pushed home into the cabinet the componentparts ot' the support are telescoped one upon the other, so that the support is entirely Within the cabinet. The clothes-hangers or other devices carried by the support are suspended directly from the sleeve 23. To eX- tend the support the handle 37 is grasped 'and withdrawn outwardly. This causes the several parts of the support to slide one upon the other, so as to bring them into eX- tended relation. The outward movement may be continued until one or the shoulders 31 ot the intermediate tubular member strikes the outer hanger bar 26 and until the annular flange 34 on the outer member strikes the shoulder 36 provided by the tube 35 secured to the intermediate member. The parts will then be in the position indicated in Fig. 6, Fig. showing them in an intermediateposition. `When the support is being pushed baclr into the cabinet the reverse movement takes place, the intermediate sleeve sliding on the rod 24 until one ot' the shoulders 21 strikes the inner hanger bar 26 and the movement oi the outer sleeve 23 on the intermediate sleeve continuing until the end oi' the band or ring 33 thereon strikes the rib 29 on the plate 28 which is adapted to take the shock thereof. In order to prevent the clotheshangers trom being removed from the support while the same is in telescoped position within the cabinet and to prevent the hooks ot the clothes-hangers from striking and marring the inside iinish of the top wall ot' the cabinet, I provide a transversely curved plate 3?a which is secured to saidtop wall 19 in a position eX- tending longitudinally' above the support. rthis plate acts as a guard to prevent 'the dislodgment of the hanger-hooks 22 from the support until after said Vsupport has been withdrawn outwardly from the cabinet. In,- stead of the inner member of the support being made in the form of a solid rod as above described it may be made in the form ot a tube or sleeve 24a, as illustrated in Fig. 8. In such case the plate 28 is provided with a stud 36a to receive and support the inner end of said tube or sleeve. In this case, a lug 39 is Jformed on said plate to receive the end thrust and absorb the shock of the outer member 23 of the support, when the same is pushed home into the cabinet.

In Figs. 9 to 12. inclusive, I have shown Y my invention modified in another respect. In this case, instead ot the short handle at the outer end of the support, I provide an upright standard 42 which at once serves as a handle to grasp in withdrawing the support and also serves as means for supporting the outer end of the support when it is in extended relation. rI`he standard 42 is in the form of a rod or tube secured in any convenient manner to a cap 43 fitted to the outer end of the outer member of the sup port. The rod or tube 42 is ot' such length that it may be pushed into the cabinet with the support and has hinged to its lower end an extension 44 provided with a roller or caster 45. A movable sleeve 46 is mounted on the rod or tube 42 near its lower end, said sleeve being adapted to be slipped downwardly upon the hinged extension member 44 when the same is in extended relation, so as to hold the extension bar in rigid alinement with the rod or tube 42. The sleeve is shown in its lower position in Figs. l0 and l1. Said sleeve is limited in its downward movement by a pin 47 which is secured to the extension member 44 and has its ends extending beyond the surface thereof to form stops to engage the lower end of the sleeve. In this case the support is withdrawn as before, and as it is withdrawn the extension member 44 of the standard 42 is caused by gravity to swing downwardly into alinement with the rod 42, in which position the roller 45 engages the floor or platform on which the cabinet stands. The sleeve 45 automatically drops so as t0 lock said extension in position. The standard thus acts to support the free end of the extensible support when it is withdrawn into extended relation.

Preferably a wear-plate 48 is provided on the bottom wall of the cabinet at the front to receive the wear due to the extension member of the standard striking the same when the support is pushed home into the cabinet.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with means providing a. compartment having a top wall, a rear wall, and being open in front, a support comprising an inner rod or tube, a plate secured to the rear wall of said compartment in line with said support and provided with a projection adapted for supporting engagement with said rod or tube, an intermediate sleeve having sliding bearing upon said rod or tube, an outer sleeve surrounding said intermediate sleeve, a cap iitted to the inner end of said outer sleeve having a radial, inwardly extending, annular shoulder having bearing on said intermediate sleeve, a short tube secured to the outer end of said intermediate sleeve on which said outer sleeve has sliding bearing, said several sleeves and said short tube having longitudinally extending slots in their lower sides, the slot in said intermediate sleeve being interrupted intermediate its length by oppositely facing, longitudinally spaced transverse shoulders, and supporting hangers, one located at the outer end of said support and the other intermediate the ends of said support, said hangers each having a depending body and an upright end part laterally spaced from said depending body and projecting through the slots of said sleeves, said upright part being rigidly connected to the inner member of said support.

2. In combination with means providing a compartment open in front and having a top wall, an extensible support carried by said wall, a standard secured to the end of said support which is adapted to be extended, said standard consisting of an upright member rigidly attached to said end of substantially the height of said compartment, of a shorter member hinged to said first named member, and of a gravity controlled device adapted to hold said second named member in rigid alinement with the iirst named member.

3. In combination with means providing a compartment open in front and having a top wall, an extensible support carried by said wall, a standard secured to the end of said support which is adapted to be extended, said standard consisting of an upright member rigidly attached to said end of the support, said upright member being of a length to clear the bottom of the compartment when the extensible support is pushed home into said compartment, of a short extension member hinged to said upright member, of a. sleeve adapted to slide on both of said members at the hinged connection and of stops on the hinged connection adapted to engage the lower end of said sleeve.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of August A. D. 1912.

COLIN D. WILT. Witnesses:

GEORGE R. IVILKINS, T. H. ALFREDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

